Dr. S. Alomary
Enriching Stuff for Translator Students
Nov. 2012
Translation Units
Translation units: meaning and use
Reading the text to be translated, the basic task of the translator, in the
transfer process from SL to TL, is to transcend the words to the concepts
behind them. In this phase of translation, the translator goes beyond words,
languages, into pure sheer thought, before encoding the message in the new
shape. This is called attaining Universal Semantic Representation (USR).
Literal or word for word translation occurs whenever there are no semantic or
grammatical obstacles, i.e. when one noun in the SL corresponds to one noun
in the TL, one verb to one verb, one structural pattern to as similar structural
pattern and when the word order is also identical. However, such ideal
conditions generally do not exist, except perhaps in sister languages coming
from a common tongue with similar grammar and syntax as Romance
languages, which all derive from Latin.
In the case of English and Arabic however, we neither have sister languages
nor semantically close ones as they derive from two different language
families. This does not deny the fact that they have some common vocabulary
items due to the exchange that occurs over the centuries of mutual contact.
But they both differ significantly in grammar and syntax; English belonging to
the family of Germanic languages and Arabic to the Aramaic or Semitic
languages group. Between English and Arabic, therefore, literal translation
may occur in very simple and short sentences, ones such as: The cat ate the
mouse, ‫القطة أكلتةاأالرة‬, but never in complex structures. In Arabic, or in
English, a concept may not always coincide with one word, and so one word
in one language may correspond to several words in the other and the other
way around. Both languages have different characteristics. Arabic tends to be
analytical. English tends to be structural and more synthetic, using compound
expressions. A translation into English from Arabic will typically run much
longer than the original without any addition to the general message.
The translator must then learn what constitutes a concept, a unit of thought
in the SL, define the message to be translated into as many translation units
as there are concepts, and finally translate them into their TL equivalents.
A translation unit is the smallest portion of a sentence whose words
cannot be translated separately without resulting in nonsense or
mistranslation.
Lexical translation units
Translation units may be lexical, based on words or expressions which cannot
be found in a good dictionary.
Overtranslation is a common mistake made by beginners: several translation
units are seen where only one exists and the end result is either nonsense or
mistranslation i.e. an inaccurate interpretation of the SL:
Easter, movable feast, A Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ;
Good Friday, Friday before Easter:
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Dr. S. Alomary
Enriching Stuff for Translator Students
Nov. 2012
The translator must learn that The Good Friday is not good at all and that
Easter is not related to east;
Thus Good Friday corresponds to ‫الجمعة أالحزينة أ‬and not the nonsensical
‫ الجمع أالطيب‬and Easter stands for ‫ عيدأالرصح‬and not ‫الريحأالشرقي‬.
Similarly, one who comes early in English equals one who (literally) comes at
a good hour in French.
Also, machine gun: does not stand for ‫بندقي أآلهأ‬but for ‫(مدفع)أ شاش‬.
1- Lexical translation units in English and Arabic:
Nominal phrases: a city center ‫وسطأالبتدأ‬a bus conductor ‫سائقأحافت أ‬
Verbal phrases: to refer to ‫يشيرأإلىأ‬and throw away ‫يرمي‬
Adverbial phrases: rapidly ‫مسةرعاأ‬gracefully ‫بتباقة‬, at midnight ‫عنةدأ‬
‫ منتصفأالتيل‬the early part of the evening ‫عشاء‬
Adjectival phrases: critical ‫نقدي؛أحيوي؛أضرو ي؛أخطير‬, comfortable ‫معز؛أ‬
‫مشجع؛أمريح‬
Prepositional phrases: above ‫كعاله‬, under ‫كدناه‬, over ‫زائد‬
Conjunctional phrases: as ‫ألن؛أمثل‬, when ‫حين‬, where ‫حيث‬
Adjectives: learnable ‫ ;قابةلألتةتعت‬breakable ‫ ;سةريعأاالنكسةا‬graceful
‫شيق‬
Adverbs: henceforth ‫منأاآلنأفصاعداأ‬, easily ‫بسهول‬
Standard expressions:
General expressions which are standard and idiomatic in the language also
constitute units of translation. They involve for instance a verb and a direct
object, such as:
To draw a comparison, ‫ ;يعقدأمقا ن‬to meet an obligation‫ أيتبيأمطتبا‬or‫أ‬
‫ ;يرةيأبةالتزا‬to raise an objection ‫ ;يثيةرأاعتراضةا‬to make a profit ‫يحقةقأ‬
‫ك باحا‬.
Or a nominal group, such as:
Circumstances beyond one’s control ‫ ;ظروفأقاهرة‬life saver ‫منقذأالغرقىأ‬
or ‫طوفأالنجاة‬.
Or even a group adjective-noun:
A bad cold ‫ ;نزلة أبةرد‬a severe injury ‫ ;جةرا أبتيغة‬a German car ‫سةيا ةأ‬
‫ كلماني أ‬.
2- Grammatical translation units
Translation may also be grammatical, based on different grammatical or
syntactical structures between the two languages, structures giving cohesive
unity to a general concept.
Verbs followed by prepositions:
Verbs whose construction requires that they be followed by a special
preposition before a noun or another verb constitute translation units:
This depends on you: ‫هذاأيعتمدأعتيك‬
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Dr. S. Alomary
Enriching Stuff for Translator Students
Nov. 2012
Sometimes the prepositions coincide in the two languages; but other times
can be different as well, or there can be a preposition in one language and
none in the other. Grammar books will offer lists of such prepositional
constructions. Otherwise, consult your dictionary.
Examples of grammatical constructions which coincide:
To get used to ‫ يعتادأعتى‬or to vote for ‫;يصوتأل‬
Which do not coincide:
He sat at the table ‫جتسأعتىأالطاول أ‬
Examples in which there is a preposition in one language and none in
the other:
Ask for ‫ ;يطتب‬overlook ‫ ;يغضأالطرفأعن‬look at ‫يرمق‬
Active/passive voice:
Very often an active voice in Arabic will be translated as a passive voice in
English. The corresponding structure constitutes a translation unit.
‫ كشةعرنال‬Your were notified. ‫ قمنةاأبششةعا ل أ‬instead of the journalistic ‫تة أ‬
‫ إشةعا ل أ‬English prefers the passive pattern above to the active pattern: we
notified you. The use of the passive voice in English will produce an idiomatic
translation.
Compound expressions/Concise expressions:
These are tight fitting trousers: ‫هذهأسراويلأضيق‬
‫منطق أذاتأنموأسكانيأسريع‬: a fast growing population area:
3- Extended translation units
Translation units are not necessarily limited to phrases, small groups or
words, or different grammatical structures: they can encompass entire
sentences or even entire messages. Idioms and slang, greetings and reflexformulas, clichés, proverbs and sayings, public signs and regulations, all
constitute translation units whose elements cannot be translated separately:
See you soon
Look here, cannot you be more careful
I was on tenterhooks
Your brother is as good as gold
As he spoke, I was getting miffed
As you sow, so shall you reap
One way street
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‫إلىأالتقاءأ‬
‫أهلأعميا!أ‬.‫افتحأعينيك‬
‫لناأفيأو ط أ‬
‫كخوكأولدأطيبأأ‬
‫أتمتكنيأالغضبأ‬،‫لماأتحدث‬
‫لماأتز عأتحصدأ‬
‫طريقأباتجاهأواحدأ‬
Dr. S. Alomary
Enriching Stuff for Translator Students
Nov. 2012
4- Delineation of translation units
It is good practice for the student translator to learn how to delineate
translation units, i.e. make a semiological analysis of the text, by cutting out
and pairing the words which constitute single concepts in order to translate
them with their proper counterparts. Experienced translators will
automatically do a quick mental delineation of translation units before a
translation, and after some practice this procedure should become habit.
Make sure that all nominal, verbal, adverbial, prepositional and conjunctional
phrases are correctly recognized, as well as grammatical TUs such as
active/passive constructions, prepositions attached to verbs, and all the
idiomatic expressions which are grouped under the heading Extended TUs.
Everyone/ tells/ her/ that she is/ the spitting image of/ here mother.
‫أأ‬.‫أكمهاأ‬/‫أأصو ةأعن‬/‫أأ كنها‬/‫ألها‬/‫أيقولون‬/‫الجميع‬
It should be noted that (the spitting image of) constitutes one concept,
therefore, should be recognized as one TU.
They were asked/ to leave/ the country/ in a couple of days.
‫أفيأغضونأيومينأ‬/‫أالبالد‬/‫أبانأيغاد وا‬/ ‫كبتغناه‬
My goodness,/ you have been sleeping late again.
‫أعدتأإلىأالت خرأفيأالنو أأ‬/،‫ياأإلهي‬
(my goodness) has to be recognized as a fixed expression, therefore as one
TU, and so does the clause (you have been sleeping late again).
No smoking /
‫ ممنوعأالتدخين‬/
Heaven helps those who help others/
‫لانأهللاأفيأعونأالعبدأماألانأالعبدأفيأعونأكخيه‬/
Public signs and regulations, proverbs and sayings, which are fixed in the
language, constitute one TU each.
Overtranslation and undertranslation are standard translation mistakes
resulting from improper TU delineation:
 Overtranslation occurs when the translator sees more than TUs in the
source text than actually exists.
 Undertranslation, when the translator sees fewer TUs than actually
exist.
Example one: what do you want to say?
If the translator sees two TUs in the verb to want to say instead of only one
(‫)يقصةد‬, as is correct, the result will be an overtranslation: what do you want
to say? Instead of what do you mean? The first translation is erroneous
because it introduces an intent absent from the source text, and would be
more the equivalent of ‫ مةاذاأك دتأكنأتقةولألهةا أ‬What did you want to say to
her?
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Dr. S. Alomary
Enriching Stuff for Translator Students
Nov. 2012
Example two: when shall I see you again? ( ‫)متىأنتتقي‬
If the translator fails to recognize that the verb ‫ نتتقةي‬actually constitutes two
TUs (to see / again) the result will be an undertranslation: when shall I see
you? Instead of when shall I see you again? When shall we meet again?
Example three: where do you come from? ( ‫)منأكيأالبالدأكنا‬
If the translator fails to recognize that the question is a fixed expression and
constitutes one TU (what’s your country of origin?) the result will be a
mistranslation: where have you been? Instead of what’s your nationality?
Example four: what does your mother do? ( ‫)ماأمهن أكمك‬
If the translator fails to recognize that the question is a fixed expression and
constitutes one TU (what’s the occupation of your mother?) the result will be
a mistranslation: what’s your mother doing? Instead of what’s your mother’s
job?
In summary, the main purpose behind the delineation of a text into
translation units is to remind the novice translator to work with
concepts rather than words: you must rise to the message behind
the signs in order to avoid error, nonsense or just plain unidiomatic
translation.
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Dr. S. Alomary
Enriching Stuff for Translator Students
Nov. 2012
Delineate the TUs in the following sentences and expressions:
1- Please set out the tea cups.
2- Would you like another cup of tea?
3- Come tomorrow morning at 9 without fail.
4- I won’t fail this exam.
5- They are not in the know.
6- They are not to know.
7- Concerning this matter, we are all in the same boat.
8- The same boat took them to the other side of the lake.
9- There’s a man in the street standing in front of our door.
10- How does the man in the street feel about this issue?
11- Serves you right!
12- Guests must be served first.
13- One can never tell!
14- One can never tell you anything for fear of having it broadcast
everywhere.
15- That takes the cake!
16- Take the rest of the cake with you, we’re on a diet.
17- I took this antique chest for a song at a flea market.
18- For this song you’ll get a kiss.
19- There is no need to rub it in.
20- The instructions say: first rub the paste in, let it dry, then puff it to a
polish.
21- You are going about it in the wrong way.
22- We drove up the street the wrong way.
23- There you go again: you spelled the beans!
24- Be careful not to spell any beans on the floor.
25- The prisoner was shot in the arm while trying to escape.
26- Lower interest rates have given the economy a shot in the arm.
27- That’s it, I get it
28- Buddy
29- Sweepstakes
30- A booby trap
31- A strange thing happened to me
32- Nothing doing
33- You must be kidding
34- To be busy reading
35- For goodness sake
36- Congratulations
37- If you think I’m gonna fall for this
38- Speaking
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